Spotlight on Friends of Russells Hall Park

We are fortunate to have some wonderful parks dotted around the borough and in what is surely no coincidence, some very active ‘friends of’ groups looking after them and enhancing their offer.

Friends of Russells Hall Park are a fantastic example of this and I recently caught up with Deborah, Debra and Stephanie (treasurer, secretary and chair respectively) to stroll in the spring sunshine and chat about their journey so far and their vision for the future. I joined them with their Easter event still fresh in the memory. A day of egg and spoon races, crafting, free teas and coffees and the distribution of over eighty Easter eggs to local children – the kind of open air, well attended event that they have become known for.

The group started in 2019, when perceptions of the park were negative amongst people who lived on the estate. Deborah, with the help of a local councillor, decided to do something to change this and held a meeting at the local pub to get more people involved. Debra came onboard as secretary, and they have not looked back since.

Deborah relates how it was quite tough to start with, as lots of people told them about the changes they wanted to see on the park, but nobody stepped forward to help. However, Deborah, Debra and former chair Gemma persevered and once they had connected with the council’s Parks Officer, things began to change.  She helped them complete the forms and access the funding that led to the play area being totally refurbished – the first of the improvements they have brought to the park. An open day marked the occasion which began to shift perceptions among the many people who attended.

They have not stopped since, following up with improvements to the pathways around the park, new benches and bins, getting the surface of the basketball court re-laid and nets installed with the help of Sport England and an all weather wicket laid down, through generous funding from Worcestershire County Cricket Club,

They feel the installation of a notice board has helped them significantly in raising their profile and awareness of the park. As Deborah states, “people see when we have events from the notice board, which is important, as not everyone has social media. We also display a tally of the number of bags of litter we have collected”. Taking its place among the regular events is Debbie’s recently launched Russells Hall Ramble – a gentle stroll around the perimeter of the park that takes place once a month.

That initial open day has become their annual Community Day, with planning well underway for their third (put June 28^th in your diaries). It has grown each year, both in terms of the number people attending and the range of attractions. This year visitors can expect lots of stalls (eighteen booked and counting) and plenty of opportunities for families to have fun together.

I ask why they think it has proven so popular, and Debbie is in no doubt, “It’s about having something to look forward to. There used to four pubs on the estate, and they have all closed, leaving nowhere for people to gather, apart from the church. People just want to be social”.

The Community Day would not be possible without volunteers. They help run the raffles and tombola, look after stalls and help make sure everyone is safe and has a good time. Deborah is clear on the importance of volunteers, “we wouldn’t get anything done without them. Volunteers are the backbone of everything”

Talk turns to their future plans for the park and they reveal their next “big project” would see improvements to the skate park, refurbishing the ramps and re-surfacing it to make it ‘skateable’. They are planning for the continued expansion of the Community Day, utilising the lower field for music events – “Glastonbury can watch out!”

Their grand vision is for a community hub on the park, a physical space, open all year round, where people can gather, access healthcare provision (there is no pharmacy on the estate) and enjoy a cuppa. The addition of changing rooms would enable them to hire out the wicket to cricket teams and to bring the pitches on the lower field back into use, both generating income that can be reinvested in the park. They concede that realising this vision would be expensive and remain frustrated at the decision to sell the former youth club to a private business rather than retaining it as a community asset.

I ask what advice they would give to anyone looking to set up a friends of parks group and they highlight the following:

• Have at least three people who are engaged and committed for the long-term.
• Everything takes time and progress can be slow, so be prepared for this.
• Don’t ignore the governance of the group, get a constitution in place and make sure you follow it. This will make it easier to work with the council and to approach potential funders.
• It is important to have a good working relationship with the council’s Parks Officers and to get local councillors onside.
• Speak to groups who are already established and seek their advice, attend appropriate events and network widely.
• Persevere – there will always be litter and dog pooh to deal with.

I came away from my first visit to Russells Hall Park with the impression of a cared for space, thanks to a dedicated group of people who give up their time freely to nurture and grow an asset for the whole community. They are committed to getting as many people as possible using the park, recognising that the more you encourage a sense of ownership, the greater your chances of shifting the narrative away from one of fear and negativity.

You can find out more about what’s going on in the park by visiting the Friends of Russells Hall Park Facebook page.